Quiz: Howstuffworks

Do You Know Who Won These WWI Battles?

Becky

Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

It's no wonder that, at the time, they called it the Great War. World War One was a uniquely horrific war, being the first time that mechanized, industrialized forces were deployed on the battlefield with new-fangled devices like tanks, machine guns, and mustard gas coming into play. As a result of a combination of these new devices with the fact that most armies - or at least, large portions of them - were not yet industrialized in this way, a clash of old and new technology plus old and new ideas about strategy and the ethics of war resulted in literally years of gridlock.

Swaths of French, Belgian, German, Italian, Danish and other fertile farmland were crisscrossed with trenches dug by opposing armies often only a few hundred yards apart, as the two groups ground their own nations and each other into the dust. It lasted four years, and it wiped out an entire generation of young men.

For the first time, battles couldn't and didn't finish when the sun went down, and often there was no clear winner. From Ypres to Verdun to Mons, they would often drag on for days, weeks, or even months, killing tens of thousands of soldiers while budging the front lines precisely not at all.

However, every so often someone would break through - even if their enemy later broke back - and a winner of sorts could be named. Let's see if you recall who claimed that dubious mantle in each of these terrible encounters.

Battle of the Somme

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Historians do not assign victory to either side in the Battle of the Somme. The battle was large, bloody and long, resulting in significant losses on both sides.

Battle of Verdun

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Put this one in the Allies' win column. The French defeated the German army on the Western Front.

Battle of Passchendaele

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Allies won the Battle of Passchendaele. During this battle, fought in Belgium, the British defeated the Germans. The battle was also called the Third Battle of Ypres.

First Battle of the Marne

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Allies won the First Battle of the Marne. The battle ended the German advance into France.

Gallipoli Campaign

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Chalk this one up to the Central Powers, The Ottoman Empire, to be exact. The victory remains important to the nation of Turkey.

Battle of Arras

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Arras is a tentative win for the Allies. Although the British won the battle, they sustained heavy losses.

Battle of Cambrai

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Put the Battle of Cambrai in the Allied column as a win. However, after this battle, the Germans launched a powerful counteroffensive.

Battle of Amiens

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Amiens was a win for the Allies. This battle has been tagged as the start of the Hundred Days Offensive, and ultimately, the end of the war.

Battle of Jutland

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Both sides claimed victory in the Battle of Jutland. However, the British strategy of preventing the Germans from advancing did pay off, so many historians see this as an Allied win.

Second Battle of Ypres

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Second Battle of Ypres was an Allied win. The Canadians and the Germans duked it out in Belgium.

Battle of Vimy Ridge

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Allies won the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Canadians and the Germans fought this battle in France.

Spring Offensive

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Allies claimed this win. The Spring Offensive was one of Germany's attempts to bring a quick end to the war. The Germans called this battle Kaiserschlacht.

Battle of Tannenberg

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Tannenberg was a win for the Central Powers. The Germans chalked up an early win against the Russians.

Battle of Messines

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Messines was a win for the Allies. The British and the Germans duked it out in Belgium.

Battle of Mons

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

We could say that the Battle of Mons was a victory of sorts for both sides. The British and the Germans both achieved battle goals.

Battle of Loos

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Loos is in the Central Powers win column. The British sustained significant casualties against the Germans.

Battles of the Isonzo

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battles of the Isonzo were a victory for the Central Powers. The Battles of the Isonzo were a series of 12 battles in Slovenia.

Second Battle of the Marne

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Put the Second Battle of the Marne squarely in the Allied victory column. This battle signaled the beginning of the end for the Germans.

Battle of Caporetto

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Caporetto was a win for the Central Powers. Lasting about one month, this battle was between the Germans and Austria vs/ the Italians.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a win for the Allies. The battle encompassed the entire Western Front.

First Battle of the Aisne

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Historians don't assign victory to either side in the First Battle of the Aisne. This battle, fought in France, pitted the Germans against the French and the British.

Battle of the Frontiers

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Germans won the Battle of the Frontiers. The Germans battled the French, British and Belgians.

Battle of the Lys

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Allies can claim a win for the Battle of the Lys. The battle took place on the Western Front and resulted in a relatively equal loss of life on both sides.

Second Battle of the Aisne

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Second Battle of the Aisne was a victory for neither side. However, it was viewed as a disaster for the French.

Hundred Days Offensive

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Hundred Days Offensive was the beginning of the end for the Central Powers. In this series of battles, the Allies advanced into German territory and ended the war.

Brusilov Offensive

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Russians defeated the Germans in the Brusilov Offensive. More than one million lives were lost on both sides.

Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle was a win for the Allies. The British won against the Germans.

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Central Powers were awarded the win in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. The Germans forced the Russians out of Prussia.

Battle of Belleau Wood

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Belleau Wood was a win for the Allies. The US Marines played a critical role in this battle.

Battle of Megiddo

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Megiddo was a win for the Allies. The Allies pounded the Central Powers over the course of six days in September 1918.

Battle of Festubert

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Festubert was a victory for Germany. Although the British gained a bit of ground, their advance did not go as planned.

Battle of Romani

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Romani was a win for the Allies, specifically the British. The battle was fought in Egypt.

Battle of Vittorio Veneto

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

Put this one square in the Allied win column. The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought in Italy and signaled the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Battle of Château-Thierry

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

The Battle of Château-Thierry was a win for the Allies. US forces battled the Germans in France.

Battle of Charleroi

Allies

Central Powers

Inconclusive

This battle goes in the win column for the Germans. The Battle of Charleroi pitted France against Germany on French territory.

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